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Alaska Air Guard trains to support NASA human spaceflight program
Staff Sgt. Tony Meyer (left), a medic assigned to the 212th Rescue Squadron, and Tech. Sgt. Ferdie Villaflorez, aircrew flight equipment technician with the 176th Operations Support Squadron, detailed to the 212th Rescue Squadron for parachute rigging, both from the Alaska Air National Guard, hang parachutes to dry in Kapolei, Hawaii, Jan. 26, 2021, during Exercise H20. After all water jumps, parachutes have to be cleaned and rinsed of all salt water and hung to dry completely before being inspected and packed for the next jump. This includes reserve chutes that aren’t deployed during the jump. Alaska Air National Guardsmen were in Hawaii training during Exercise H20, January and February, honing their long-range search and rescue capability in support of the NASA human spaceflight program they are responsible for supporting. The Air Guard’s 176th Wing at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, is the only wing in the U.S. Air Force, Guard, and Reserve, with C-17 Globemaster III aircraft and pararescue personnel that combine to provide long-range search and rescue—able to travel the furthest distance in the shortest time, in response to a life-threatening scenario. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Lt. Col. Candis Olmstead)

Photo by: Lt. Col. Candis Olmstead |  VIRIN: 210126-Z-MF300-0033.JPG